Setting a goal

In this section we suggest a number of areas where you might need to consider planning for the future. The key to successful personal planning is to set SMART personal goals and make a SMART plan for achieving them:

SPECIFIC
Goals should be straightforward and emphasise what you want to happen. Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do. WHAT are you going to do? Use action words such as direct, organise, co-ordinate, lead, develop, plan, build etc. Ensure the goals you set are very specific, clear and simple. Instead of setting a goal to make more money, set a specific goal to purchase an investment property within 12 months.

MEASURABLE
If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. In the broadest sense, the whole goal statement is a measure for the project; if the goal is accomplished, there is a success. However, there are usually several short-term or small measurements that can be built into the goal. Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. How will you know when you reach your goal? Be specific! When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to the continued effort required to reach your goals.

ATTAINABLEA goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a real commitment from you. The feeling of success which this brings helps you to remain motivated. Accumulating personal wealth can sometimes seem like a thankless task and achieving regular milestones can help make the challenge a little more bearable.

REALISTIC
This does not mean “easy.” It means that the path is not a vertical slope; that the skills needed to achieve the goal are available; that the achievement fits with your overall personal strategy. A realistic goal may push your skills and knowledge but it shouldn’t break them. Be sure to set goals that you can attain with some effort! Too difficult and you set the stage for failure, but too low sends the message that you aren’t very capable. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement!

TIMELY
Set a timeframe for the goal: next week, three months, by year end. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards. If you don’t set a time, the commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at any time. Without a time limit, there’s no urgency to start taking action now. Time must be measurable, attainable and realistic.